Case Explained: Priscilla Croxdale; Ralph Croxdale v. Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-24 The eighth-circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the insurance company, holding that the homeowners’ policy unambiguously excluded coverage for all water damage resulting from a leak that lasted approximately one month. The court applied Iowa law, which mandates interpreting insurance policies according to their plain meaning from the viewpoint of an ordinary person and resolving ambiguities in favor of the insured only if the language is susceptible to two reasonable interpretations. The court determined that the policy’s exclusion for loss caused by “constant or repeated seepage or leakage… that occurs over a period of weeks, months, or years” clearly barred coverage for any damage resulting from a leak lasting more than fourteen days, regardless of whether some damage occurred within the first fourteen days or if the specific pipe burst was sudden. The court rejected arguments that the phrase “weeks, months, or years” required a longer duration to avoid surplusage or that the Iowa-specific endorsement expanded coverage beyond the generic fourteen-day limit, finding the language clear and unambiguous. Consequently, because the insurer had a reasonable basis for denying coverage under the policy terms, the court also affirmed the dismissal of the plaintiffs’ bad-faith denial claim. The practical consequence is that the judgment in favor of Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company stands, leaving the Croxdales without insurance recovery for the water damage to their home. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.